1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a binding base, or xe2x80x9crouxxe2x80x9d, which serves in particular as binder for various sauces.
2. The Related Art
In a non-industrial manner, roux is prepared with fat, generally butter, in which flour is browned, to a greater or lesser degree depending on whether white roux or brown roux is desired. To prepare a sauce, for example a bxc3xa9chamel sauce, milk is added to the roux and the mixture is heated while mixing it. Since roux has a pasty texture, its mixing with the milk is difficult, with the risk of lumps being formed.
To facilitate the preparation of sauces, it is possible to use neutral or flavoured, ready-to-use roux in the form of granules which is commercially available. To prepare a sauce, the roux in the form of granules is dissolved in a liquid (water, milk and the like), while heating the mixture. However, the use of roux in the form of granules can prove difficult. Indeed, there are instances when the roux dissolves poorly and also causes the formation of lumps.
The present invention proposes to further facilitate the preparation of sauces based on roux.
To this effect, the invention relates to a binding base for a culinary preparation, comprising fat and flour, characterized in that it also comprises a thickening agent to give the base a viscous and stable texture.
The melting point of the thickening agent, preferably stearin, is higher than that of the fat. Thus, by virtue of the addition of this agent, the fat is sufficiently viscous at room temperature in the finished product and prevents sedimentation, that is to say the formation of two separate liquid and solid phases. At room temperature, the binding base is both liquid, with a certain viscosity, and stable, the solid particles of flour and starch, when present, being maintained in suspension in the viscous phase (fat and stearin).
Preferably, starch is also provided and the proportion by weight of flour and starch is substantially equal to 50%.
Still preferably, there are provided
between 40% and 10% by weight of starch,
between 10% and 40% by weight of flour, and
50% by weight of fat, of which 5% to 10% by weight of stearin.
The invention also relates to a method of preparing the above binding base, in which a principal fat and flour are mixed, the mixture is heated and a liquid phase is obtained, and then the liquid mixture is cooled, characterized in that before cooling the mixture, a thickening agent is added thereto in order to obtain a viscous phase after cooling, the mixture is stirred while it is being cooled so as to maintain the solid particles in suspension in the viscous phase after cooling.
When a fat cools, it crystallizes. The crystallization is oriented by stirring, and optionally by shearing, the mixture during its cooling. The stirring (and the shearing) of the mixture during its cooling, on the one hand, and the use of the thickening agent, on the other hand, are two factors which contribute to maintaining the solid particles in suspension in a viscous phase, at room temperature, in the finished product. By this means, a liquid binding base is obtained which has a certain viscosity at room temperature and which does not sediment by separation of the solid particles from the viscous phase and deposition of these particles at the bottom of the packaging in which the binding base is packaged.
Advantageously, the mixture is cooled by heat exchange with a cooling liquid.
Preferably, there are mixed
between 40% and 10% by weight of starch,
between 10% and 40% by weight of flour, and
50% by weight of fat, of which 5% to 10% by weight of stearin.
In a particular embodiment, the mixture is heated to about 130xc2x0 C.
By heating the mixture at this temperature, the raw flour taste is avoided, the moisture is removed from the flour and the enzymes in the flour, which are capable of breaking up subsequent binding in the finished product, are destroyed.
In another embodiment, the flour is cooked before being added to the other ingredients.
The preliminary cooking of the flour also makes it possible to avoid the raw flour taste, to remove the moisture from the flour and to destroy the enzymes in the flour. However, in this case, it is not necessary to heat the mixture to 130xc2x0 C.